Tuesday, June 2, 2009

A Woman in her Thirties Reads Trashy Memoirs

I can't believe I am writing this blog entry, but here goes:

I am currently reading STORI Telling, a memoir by the illustrious Donna Martin, aka Tori Spelling. And loving it.

In my defense, I did not pay for this book. It was given to me by a friend. I would also like to say that I am also currently teaching Greek tragedy and Steinbeck. Just wanted to throw that out there, too, in case anyone reading has rushed to judgment about my intelligence.

Why do I feel the need to defend myself about this book? Because of the look on L's face when he saw me reading it the other night. It was a look that said, 'I can't believe you are wasting your time on that garbage', and the same look I have given to many Danielle Steel and Nicholas Sparks readers in my day. Judgment, judgment, judgment.

I will not waste any time here trying to explain how this book will change your life. It won't. It is full of sage insight about her first husband like, 'I thought for sure he was Jewish, which I knew would make my parents happy. Turned out he was Greek Armenian. Oops.' It is also full of poor-little-rich-girl anecdotes like, 'Even though it was just going to be July 4 hot dogs and hamburgers... it was going to cost nine thousand dollars. That's the Bel Air for you.' Hardly the figurative language that poetry is made of.

And yet here I am, admitting that I love it. I love that her mother is such grade A bitch. I love seeing life through Tori Spelling's rose colored glasses, through her cabana-boy kissing experiences and star studded weddings. I love that she shares some of my same self-deprecating sense of humor. So there. Bite me.

To all my trashy novel readers out there, allow me to tip my hat in apology. I'm sorry I spent so much of my life making fun of you (behind your back). We work hard, dammit, and who have I thought I am to snort and smirk at your choices for entertainment? A woman in her thirties is better than that.

She also has heard that romance novels are where the money is at, and if she's thinking of a career in writing...

1 comment:

As I read this post my blood pressure began to rise a bit thinking that you must have thought I was the scum of the reading earth as I used to lay on the couch with my magazines (I mean magazines are so below any trashy novel). But, then I smiled and felt my arteries relax and heart warm as I see your progress as a reader through your realization that trash is GREAT! You have given me inspiration to try to read a "classic". Maybe I need to let down some of my preconceptions that classics are for the more stuffy and boring reader ;).